Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe (b. New York, USA, 1946; d. Boston, USA, 1989) studied for a B.F.A. from The Pratt Institute, before dropping out in 1969 to become one of the most iconic artists of the late twentieth century. Mounting over 50 solo exhibitions during his life, including numerous museum shows in the USA, Europe and Japan, he has, since his death, continued to be the subject of important retrospectives.

Beyond the art historical and social significance of his work, his legacy lives on through the work of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. He established the Foundation in 1988 to promote photography, support museums that exhibit photographic art, and to fund medical research in the fight against AIDS and HIV-related infection.